We all believe we listen well and yet many times we feel others are not listening to us. However, listening goes in both directions—you may believe you are listening well, but how often have you completely forgotten what was said to you? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Make eye contact.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} when People talk, they put out visual clues that add to the conversation and meaning of their words.

Stop talking.

    You can't listen, talk and at the same time completely receive the meaning of the other person's words. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

React without words.

    Let the other person know you are listening through physical reactions, such as head nods, smiles, frowns and eye movement.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Concentrate.

    Concentrate on what the other person is saying. Clear your mind of other thoughts and emotions and focus on the conversation at hand. Be in the moment of that conversation, and don't think about what you want to say back.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Behave as an effective listener. The more you continue to behave as a listener, the more you will be an effective listener.

Be an inventor

    The biggest secret about inventing is that anybody can do it! Perhaps this sounds crazy, but it's true. Maybe you have the wrong idea about inventing, so read on to discover the truth.

Wrong idea number 1:{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Well, inventing means creating something “new”, but the idea could come from something that already exists.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

Wrong idea number 2: Inventors are born, not made.

    There are a lot of factors that make invention possible. Take Mozart, for example. He was born with a special talent for music.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}His father was a music teacher, and Mozart practiced for hours every day, from the time he was in kindergarten.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Very successful creators don't give up when they get something wrong. As one inventor said, “A failure is the right answer to the wrong question!”

    Wrong idea number 3: Inventors are always old people.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Here is an example of a young inventor: Louis Braille went blind when he was a child. When he was 15, he invented a system of reading and writing for blind people that is still used in most countries today.

A. Everyday things can give people lots of ideas.

B. An invention has to be something completely new.

C. But other factors were also important for his creativity.

D. As a young man, George Nissen invented the trampoline (蹦床).

E. Don't believe that you can't invent something when you are young.

F. Thomas Edison said that being an inventor was “99% hard work and 1% inspiration”!

G. The Wright brothers, for example, got the idea for building a “flying machine” from watching birds.

    Why is setting goals important?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen.

    Successful people imagine how their life should be and set lots of goals.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of in this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind which can be found in a map. She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns. The other driver has no goal, or destination or map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drivers aimlessly around. Never getting anywhere, just using up gas. Which driver do you want to be?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}They decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident. Goals aren't difficult to set, and they aren't difficult to reach.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}You are the one who must decide what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Written goals can be reviewed regularly, and have more power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular way you are able to make yourself continuously aware of situations that will bring you nearer to your goal.

A. Winners in life set goals and follow through

B. It's up to you to find out what your goals really are

C. By setting goals you are taking control of your life

D. Because everybody should have a goal in his mind

E. It's difficult for a driver to reach his destination without a map

F. Because goals can help you do, be and experience everything you want in life

G. Research tells us that when we write a goal down, we are more likely to achieve it

The Best Ways to Lose Weight with Walking

    Walking regularly is the easiest and least expensive form of exercise. Except for a good pair of walking shoes, no special equipment is needed. It is not necessary to join a gym. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You can walk every day with no “rest days” in between. There is nothing to learn; people already know how to walk. There are, however, a few important things to keep in mind when walking to lose weight.

    Ways to lose weight by walking

    The first way to begin to lose weight by walking is to start walking. The initial goal should be 10,000 steps per day. Using a simple pedometer(计步器) attached to the waistband or on a belt will help you to count your daily steps. Consistency—even 10 minutes 3 times a day at first will produce the immediate results. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    It is very important to check with your medical professional before beginning any exercise program; especially if you are over age 65, have been required sitting or little activity for more than a year, or have been diagnosed with heart disease, pregnancy, high blood pressure, or any other medical conditions.

    How to walk to lose weight

    A good walking technique will help you achieve the physical or mental energy you need to walk consistently for the amount of time you have set for your goal. Making sure that you are using your large muscles correctly will also help to build your muscles. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Walking regularly can aid in muscle growth and increase the amount of calories you burn throughout the day. Eating a healthy low-fat diet will raise your metabolism(新陈代谢). {#blank#}5{#/blank#}If paired the calorie burn with the correct diet, it can lead to a better form of weight loss.

A. Limit your "bad" fat intake.

B. Begin a walking program with suitable physical qualities.

C. For example, take the stairs rather than taking the elevator.

D. It can be done anywhere and anytime, alone or with friends.

E. These two methods will help lead to a safe 1 to 2 pound weight loss per week.

F. Strong muscles burn more calories throughout the day, even when you are not walking.

G. But slowly increasing the time and the distance will encourage your weight-loss efforts.

    Most successful people attach importance to why learning from mistakes is important. Every unsuccessful attempt can help you gain important experience. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Here are some of the top reasons why mistakes are valuable.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Do you remember your first bad grade for a test? Do you remember an embarrassing moment when a teacher caught you cheating during an exam?

    These are common struggles but they are actually a great way to build good future habits. Once you have the experience, you will no longer make the mistakes you did before. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Encourage different thinking

    As we make mistakes, we remove certain ways of reaching our goal. When an approach is proven wrong, people immediately start looking for different ways to resolve a situation. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. If your initial idea did not work, you are more likely to take a different stand and think of ideas you wouldn't have thought if that didn't happen.

    Build characters

    This is quite the tricky benefit since people can go either way when it comes to building characters. Very often, too many mistakes make people depressed. Too many failures convince them to just give up on their dreams. However, once you start learning from mistakes, you'll gain confidence from them. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. And they will help you become a more passionate, successful person.

A. Give us experience

B. Reveal weaknesses

C. As we make mistakes, we learn from them

D. We have to practice, fail and rise up again

E. They will help you build a stronger character

F. Basically, mistakes encourage you to find a new solution

G. And mistakes can even be more valuable than achievements

    The world is a colorful landscape of different languages, skin colors, and different cultures. It's important to have a good understanding of different cultures in order to become a well-rounded person{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One way is to read hooks written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors who have a close relationship with a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of a life of a particular group of people.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Another way to learn about different cultures is to try to learn a foreign language. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}A person can choose a language she has always wanted to learn and locate learning programs to help her master the language. Besides, one can enroll in a foreign language class in order to learn in a more formal setting. One can also try to visit areas of the city to establish social connection with native speakers of the language.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Seek out restaurants that feature authentic food from a variety of countries. Food is an important part of different cultures and allows people to gain deep understanding into a particular cultural group's way of life.

    Communicating with people from other countries through email or snail mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Various websites offer pen pal services, offering to connect individuals with pen friends around the world.

A. Stories based on a local culture expose one to a different culture.

B. Trying authentic food from a specific cultural group is also a great idea.

C. There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures.

D. A variety of language-learning books, software, and audio programs is available,

E. The Internet has made it possible to communicate with others from different countries.

F. Making contact with native speakers of the language allows one to gain firsthand knowledge.

G. One way to develop this appreciation is to try to team about other cultures around the world.